Gaming equipment for table games using playing cards and tokens, in particular for black jack

ABSTRACT

The inventive gaming equipment for table games using playing cards and tokens comprises a playing table provided with a covering divided into sectors for betting and sections for placing cards faceup, a shoe-type element for storing and distributing playing cards withdrawn therefrom facedown, a computer and a system for supervising the game which is embodied in the form of an optoelectronic device for processing object images on the playing table. Said gaming equipment is provided with a unit for comparing value symbols of the playing cards and which is connected to a unit for identifying and recording the value symbols of the cards extracted from the shoe-type element for cards, a unit for identifying and recording the value symbols of the playing cards which are placed faceup on the sections therefor and a computer.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to gaming equipment for playing games of chancelike “Black Jack” and other similar games in which playing cards andgaming chips (jettons) are used.

PRECEDING TECHNICAL FIELD

Gaming equipment for table games is known in which playing cards andgaming chips are used, in particular for the game of “Black Jack” (seeU.S. Pat. No. 5,735,525 dated Feb. 5, 1997, published Apr. 7, 1998,Intern'l class A63F 1/18), including gaming table with cloth providedwith betting boxes and other areas designated for placement of saidgaming chips, as well as areas designated for placement of said playingcards face up, card shoe for storage and distribution of playing cardsdrawn from it face down, equipped with a playing card value imprintrecognition and registration unit (the said cards are drawn from thecard shoe).

The gaming table is equipped with bet registration detectors, installedin betting boxes and in the other areas designated for placement of saidchips as well as playing cards detectors in the areas for theirplacement face up. The gaming equipment includes also an operationdevice connected with the playing cards value imprint recognition andregistration unit (playing cards are drawn from the card shoe face down)with the bets registration detectors and playing cards detectors on theareas for placing them face up.

This known gaming equipment does not provide the possibility of anautomatic control exercise in real time over keeping the gaming rules oneach stage of it and over the accuracy of dealer's payment of wins toplayers.

This results from the fact that the bet registration detectors andplaying cards detectors reacting to the object's presence, placed on thegaming table, inform the operation device about the fact only, that theplayer has placed a bet and the playing card has entered the area beforehim. However neither the information about bet size nor the informationabout the playing card value imprint which came to the player, can beobtained from such gaming equipment. Thus, it is impossible to determinethat the player has got just the playing card which was drawn from thecard shoe. It is impossible to monitor in real time and to fix violationof rules in the form of bets changing; as well as it is impossible tocontrol the accuracy of the dealer's payment of wins to players.

Gaming equipment for table games is also known in which playing cardsand gaming chips are used, in particular for the game of “Black Jack”(see U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,334 dated Nov. 4, 1995, published Feb. 25,1997, Intern'l class A63F 1/18), including gaming table with clothprovided with betting boxes and other areas designated for saidplacement of said playing chips, as well as areas designated forplacement of said cards face up, card shoe for storage and distributionof playing cards drawn from it face down, equipped with a playing cardsvalue imprint recognition and registration unit (the said playing cardsare drawn from the card shoe).

The gaming table is equipped with bets registration detectors, installedin the betting boxes and in the other areas designated for placement ofsaid gaming chips as well as playing cards detectors in the areasdesignated for placement face up. The gaming equipment includes also anoperation device connected with the playing cards value imprintrecognition and registration unit (playing cards are drawn from the cardshoe face down) with the bets registration detectors and playing cardsdetectors on the areas for placement face up. The operation device isprovided with an information storage system.

The known gaming equipment does not provide the possibility of anautomatic control exercise in real time over keeping the gaming rules oneach phase of the game and over the accuracy of dealer's payment of winsto players.

This results from the fact that the detectors installed on the gamingtable generate signals only of a bet's presence in the box suitable forit and about the placement of the playing card to the area suitable forits placement face up because the detectors react only to the object'spresence in the area where detectors are installed. However it is notpossible to obtain information about the bet's size and the playing cardvalue imprint, which came to the area to be placed face up.

The operation device may control only the playing card's arrival fromthe card shoe to the gaming place where the bet was made, but it doesnot allow determination of the identity of the playing card valueimprint which came to the player, with the playing card, drawn from thecard shoe. When using this gaming equipment it is impossible also tocontrol in real time the accuracy of the dealer's payment of wins toplayers and the absence of rules violation during changing of bets whichare provided for such changing. As it is seen from the above, the solereliable information which may be obtained and put into the operationdevice information storage system is the information about the playingcards value imprint (playing cards are drawn from the card shoe facedown)—that is insufficient for automatic control over the game run inreal time.

The most similar in technical point and obtained result for the claimedinvention is gaming equipment for table games in which playing cards andgaming chips are used, in particular for the game of “Black Jack” (seeGerman patent No. 4439502 dated Nov. 8, 1994, published Sep. 14, 1995,Intern'l class A63, F 9/00, A63F 1/00), including gaming table withcloth provided with betting boxes and other areas designated forplacement of said gaming chips, as well as areas designated forplacement of said playing cards face up, card shoe for storage anddistribution of playing cards drawn from it face down, equipped withoptical electronic detector of playing cards movement and with playingcards value imprint recognition and registration unit (playing cards aredrawn from the card shoe), monitoring system of the game run, computer,connected with the separate functional units by wire or wirelesscommunications, supplied with a system of electronic data processingprogrammed in accordance with the gaming rules, which allows evaluationof signals coming from the playing cards value imprint recognition andregistration unit (playing cards are drawn from the card shoe face down)and from the monitoring system of the game run connected with theinformation storage system as well as the visualization device of dataprocessed in the computer (the said data characterises the game run).

The monitoring system of the game run is created in the form of multiplesingle detectors placed on the gaming table under the cloth, the saiddetectors fix the objects on the table, the said detectors consist of amultitude of single detectors and gaming bet detectors acting asautomatic recognition unit of the made bet registration. As the separatedetectors composing the multitude of detectors fix the objects on thetable, light-sensitive detectors are used, in particular photodiodessensitive for infra-red rays, e.g. silicon diodes. The separatelight-sensitive detectors are placed in the multitude of sensors in away such that each object, gaming chip or playing card placed on thetable cloth in accordance with the gaming rules, covers at least twodetectors. The gaming bets detector intended for the automatic betrecognition, is a manual scanner which fixes the colour of the chip andthe number of chips of the same color. The gaming bet detector may alsocomprise a high-frequency recognition system, including atransmitter-receiver station connected with transponders built intochips. Upon the supply of high-frequency signals to the transponder fromthe transmitter-receiver station, the said transponder sends reversesignals to the station, characterizing the evaluated chip value. Thetransponders include inductive antennas. The chips may have a device forinformation storage. The transmitter-receiver station has ahigh-frequency signal generator for the simultaneous transmission of apower supply to the transponder, temporary and operating signals,demodulator, modulator, operational unit, system of uniform connectionsand signals, electronic reading/recording unit, several inductiveantennas. The playing card value imprint recognition and registrationunit (the said playing cards are drawn from the card shoe face down) iscreated in the form of an optical electronic detector placed in the wayof movement of the playing card, the said detector registers the playingcards value imprint which are drawn from the card shoe, the said valueimprint is situated in one and the same definite place. This opticalelectronic detector reacts to light of the definite area of the playingcard, coloured or not coloured and causes switching on of a source oflight impulses when the playing card value imprint passes the window ofthe card shoe. With the help of an optical deflecting device which is inthe form of an optical prism or mirror, the image of the playing cardvalue imprint is transmitted to a CCD image converter.

This known gaming equipment does not provide the possibility of anautomatic control exercise in real time over keeping the gaming rules oneach stage of it and over the accuracy of dealer's payment of wins toplayers.

It is explained by the fact that the multitude of light-sensitivedetectors included in the monitoring system of the game run are intendedonly for fixing an objects' presence at the gaming table in the bettingboxes and in other areas designated for placement of said chips, as wellas on the areas designated for placement of said playing cards. Howeverit is impossible to determine with the use of such detectors whichprecise playing card has entered the area where it's presence is fixed,and if it's value imprint is identical to the value imprint of theplaying card drawn from the card shoe registered earlier. Similarly, itis impossible to determine the sizes of bets made by players with thehelp of the multitude of light-sensitive detectors. One can only fix thebet's presence in the designated areas of the gaming table. A manualscanner is used in the monitoring system of the game run of known gamingequipment for the count and chip value evaluation in bets made by eachplayer; the said scanner registers separately the chip or column ofchips placed by each player, the image of the said chips is analyzedafterwards by count and colours, which determine the chips' value. Insuch a way the sizes of bets made by players are evaluated. Using such amanual scanner does not allow control of whether the bet made during theprocess of the whole game was changed in contradiction with the rules,e.g. an increase or decrease of the number, substitution of one or a fewchips with other value chips. Chip scanning is executed once, and laterduring the whole game the control over the state of placed bets isabsent due to the fact that it is impossible to carry it outtechnically. It is possible to provide the control in real time whenusing chips with transponders built into them and transmitter-receiverstation for monitoring the players' bets, but, it is necessary toprovide a signal constantly to each chip, to receive the informationalsignal from it's transponder, to interpret it for the chip's value,—andonly afterwards the information may be transmitted for evaluation to theelectronic data processing computer system. Manufacturing of chips withtransponders requires high tangible expenses, and thetransmitter-receiver station contains a big quantity of complicated andexpensive apparatus. It is not at all possible a to exercise controlover the dealer's bank and over the accuracy of wins payment with thehelp of this known equipment. Thus, the persistent control over the gamerun during all it's phases and the control over keeping of the rules inreal time are not exercised.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The basis of the invention is to aim to perfect gaming equipment fortable games in which playing cards and gaming chips are used, inparticular for the game of “Black Jack” by means of implementation ofnew components, new connections between the components and newimplementation of the components; this will provide the possibility ofan automatic control exercise in real time over keeping the gaming ruleson each phase of the game and over the accuracy of dealer's payment ofwins to players.

The stated task is solved in the following way:

Gaming equipment for table games in which playing cards and gaming chipsare used, in particular for the game of “Black Jack”, including gamingtable with cloth provided with betting boxes and other areas designatedfor placement of said playing chips, as well as areas designated forplacement of said playing cards face up, card shoe for storage anddistribution of the playing cards drawn from it face down, equipped withan optical electronic detector of playing cards' movement and with aplaying cards value imprint recognition and registration unit (playingcards are drawn from the card shoe), a monitoring system of the gamerun, a computer, connected with the separate functional units by wire orwireless communications, supplied with a system of electronic dataprocessing programmed in accordance with the gaming rules, which allowsevaluation of signals coming from the playing cards value imprintrecognition and registration unit(the said playing cards are drawn fromthe card shoe face down) and from the monitoring system of the game runconnected with the information storage system as well as thevisualization device of data processed in the computer andcharacterizing the game run;

the Innovation is represented in the monitoring system of the game runcreated in the form of an optical electronic device for the gaming tableobjects images processing, which contains playing cards value imprintrecognition and a registration unit of the playing cards coming to eacharea for placing them face up, a players' bets recognition andregistration unit, a dealer's bank recognition and registration unit andan operation unit of the monitoring system of the game run; as well asthe gaming equipment is additionally provided with playing cards valueimprint comparison unit, the first input of which is connected with theoutput of the playing cards value imprint recognition and registrationunit (playing cards are drawn from the card shoe face down), it's secondinput is connected with the output of the playing cards value imprintrecognition and registration unit, (the said cards come to each areadesignated for placement of playing cards face up), and the output isconnected with the computer; the input of the game run monitoring systemoperation unit is connected with the computer, the first output of thegame run monitoring system operation unit is connected with the input ofthe playing cards value imprint recognition and registration unit, (thesaid cards come to each area for placement face up), and the secondoutput is connected with the input of the dealer's bank recognition andregistration unit and with the input of the players' bets recognitionand registration unit; outputs of the dealer's bank recognition andregistration unit and players' bets recognition and registration unitare connected with the computer, at the same time the optical electronicdevice of gaming table objects image processing is arranged over thegaming table.

The Innovation is also represented with the fact that the playing cardsvalue imprint recognition and registration unit (playing cards are drawnfrom the card shoe face down) is created in the form of an opticalelectronic device containing CCD image converter equipped with a objectglass and processor, which are connected in sequence.

The innovation is represented with the fact that the gaming equipmentcontains two or more monitoring systems of the game run arranged overthe gaming table at a distance between each other and each having adifferent inclination angle to the horizontal surface of the gamingtable, the said monitoring systems are connected with the computerthrough an additional synchronization unit. The cause-and-effectrelation between the aggregate of the essential features of theinvention and obtained technical result is as follows.

The realization of the game run monitoring system in the form of anoptical electronic device for gaming table objects images processingwhich contains playing cards value imprint recognition and registrationunit (playing cards come to each area designated for placement face up,including the dealer's playing cards), players' bets recognition andregistration unit, dealer's bank recognition and registration unit andthe game run monitoring system operation unit, providing the opportunityto exercise constant control over rules keeping at the gaming table.After recognition and registration of the playing cards value imprint(the playing card being drawn from the card shoe and passed to the areadesignated for playing card placement face up by one of the gameplayers), the value imprint of the given card is immediately recognizedand registered by the suitable unit included in the optical electronicdevice.

Due to the fact that the gaming equipment is additionally equipped withthe playing card value imprint comparison unit, the first input of whichis connected with the output of the playing cards value imprintrecognition and registration unit (playing cards are drawn from the cardshoe face down), it's second input is connected with the output of theplaying cards value imprint recognition and registration unit (the saidcards come to each area designated for placement face up), and theoutput is connected with the computer; the input of the game runmonitoring system operation unit is connected with computer equippedwith a data processing electronic system programmed in accordance withthe gaming rules,—the immediate comparison of the playing cards valueimprint drawn from the card shoe with the playing card arrived on thegaming table. In case of their identity the game run monitoring systemoperation unit connected with the computer input having received theinformation about the comparison results, does not prevent further gamecontinuation. In case the value imprint of playing cards, which aredrawn from the card shoe, and the value imprint of paying cards, whichcome to the gaming table are different, then information about gamerules violation appears on the screen of the visualization device ofdata processed in the computer, and the operation unit of the monitoringsystem of the game run gives a signal prohibiting further gamecontinuation and immediately informs inspectorial staff about the gamingrules violation immediately. The players' bets recognition andregistration unit and the dealer's bank recognition and registrationunit during the process of the playing cards distribution providecontinuous automatic control to ensure that no changes conflicting withthe gaming rules occur in players' bets and in dealer's bank.

Constantly incoming information from these units into the electronicdata processing computer system about the fact that the chips count andtheir value both in players' bets and in dealer's bank remain unchangedconfirms that the game runs without rules violation. In case of increaseor decrease of the chip's count in players bets in a way not provided bythe gaming rules, in case of value changing of these chips, as well asin the event of any changes arising in the dealer's bank, these unitsnotify the system of electronic data processing of the computer aboutthe beginning of non standart situation and this information appears onthe processed data visualization device; and the game run monitoringsystem operation unit having received a signal of the rules violation,prohibits further game continuation. If the game runs without rulesviolation and the dealer has played the game with one of the players,then the operation unit disconnects the playing card value imprintrecognition and registration unit on the gaming table. At this stagedealer's bank recognition and registration unit informs the system ofelectronic data processing of the computer about dealer's bank increaseor decrease by the sum equivalent to the size of dealer's win or lossrespectively. The player's bet recognition and registration unit informsthat the bet in the amount registered during the whole game has come tothe dealer's bank in case of player's loss, or about the fact that theplayer was paid the respective win in case of the dealer's loss. Theresults of this phase are reflected on visualization device of processeddata, and, in the case of absence of the violations in the game, thegame run monitoring system operation unit having received the saidsignal, does not prohibit the work of the value imprint recognition andregistration unit of the playing cards coming to the following areadesignated for placement of the playing cards face up, and also theplayer's bets recognition and registration unit for the control over nonchanging of the bet's sum and the dealer's bank recognition andregistration unit for the control of the fact that no changes occur init. If the information about gaming rules violation by player or dealerappears on visualization device of processed data, the inspectorialstaff is informed immediately about this fact, and the said staff take adecision regarding the possibility of the further continuation of thegame. Also in such a way the game continues up to its end under theconstant control in real time.

The provision of the possibility of automatic checking and monitoring ofthe rules keeping is reached also due to the fact that the playing cardsvalue imprint recognition and registration unit (playing cards are drawnfrom the card shoe face down) is created in the form of an opticalelectronic device containing object-glass, CCD image converter andprocessor, which are connected in sequence.

Under such realization of the given unit the playing card value imprintrecognition and registration is provided constantly from the moment whenthe optical electronic sensor switches on the unit upon the front edgeof the playing card appearing from the card shoe, up to the moment ofthe back edge of the playing card leaving the unit.

At the same time not only the recognition of the playing card valueimprint arranged in the predetermined place is carried out but also thewhole playing card is recognized and registered during the process ofmovement through the card shoe. During the process of the playing cardmovement the object-glass constantly forms the information on theCCD-image converter about each area passed. Then the information comesto the processor, which registers areas of the playing card as far as itmoves in the card shoe and its whole image before its withdrawal fromthe card shoe. Thus, the possibility of gaming rules violation duringthe playing card withdrawal from the card shoe is fully impossible, andthe reliable information comes to the comparison unit about what playingcard is withdrawn from the card shoe and should come to the areadesignated for placement face up.

The possibility of the automatic control over keeping the gaming rulesis achieved due to the fact that the gaming equipment contains two ormore game run monitoring systems arranged over the gaming table at adistance between each other and having different inclination angles tothe horizontal surface of the gaming table, the said monitoring systemsare connected with the computer through the additional synchronizationunit. During the game process in accordance with the rules accepted inthe casino the player may double the bet made earlier or divide the deckin case of getting two equal value cards and make a bet of the same sizerespectively (or doubled) to the second deck. Two players may playtogether at one gaming place at the gaming table, one of them or both atonce may double bets or divide the deck having made the additional betto the second deck. All these actions are connected with the fact thatin the area of object-glass' scan of one game run monitoring systemplayers' hands e.g., appear periodically, which hinder the constantmonitoring of the gaming table and changes taking place on it. Under thearrangement of two or more game run monitoring systems above the gamingtable at a distance between each other and having different inclinationangles to the horizontal surface of the gaming table, in every point oftime the synchronization unit, through which the game run monitoringsystems are connected with the computer, switches on the monitoringsystem or systems which receive the complete information from the gamingtable about the playing cards coming to designated areas, about players'bets and the dealer's bank state. Due to this fact the automatic controlover keeping the gaming rules and over the accuracy of the dealer'spayment of wins to the players is provided in any situation. The controlover the game run is exercised in real time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature of the invention is explained with drawings, in FIG. 1 thegaming table with the game run monitoring system arranged over it isshown in general form;

in FIG. 2—the card shoe, side view;

in FIG. 3—a block diagram of the gaming equipment with one game runmonitoring system;

in FIG. 4—the same, with three game run monitoring systems.

Gaming equipment for table games in which playing cards and gaming chipsare used, in particular for the game of “Black Jack” contains a gamingtable 1 with a cloth 2, marked with sectors 3 for bets and other areas 4for possible chips placing, as well as areas 5 for placement of playingcards face up. On the gaming table 1 a card shoe 6 is arranged forstorage and distribution of playing cards withdrawn from it face down.The card shoe 6 with a distributing slot 7 is equipped with an opticalelectronic detector 8 of the playing cards movement and with a playingcards value imprint recognition and registration unit 9, (playing cardsare drawn from the card shoe face down), which is in the form of anoptical electronic device 10, containing an object-glass 11, CCD-imageconverter 12 and processor 13, connected in sequence. Over the gamingtable 1 a game run monitoring system 14 is arranged which is in the formof an optical electronic device of the playing table 1 object imageprocessing, containing playing cards value imprint recognition andregistration unit 15, the said playing cards coming to each areadesignated for placement face up, players' bets recognition andregistration unit 16, dealer's bank recognition and registration unit 17and operation unit 18 of the game run monitoring system 14. The gamingequipment also contains a playing cards value imprint comparison unit19, a computer 20 equipped with a system 21 of electronic dataprocessing programmed in accordance with the gaming rules, which allowsevaluation of signals coming to the computer 20, connected with a system22 of information storage, and a processed data visualization device 23characterizing the game run.

The first input of the playing cards value imprint comparison unit 19 isconnected with the output of playing cards value imprint recognition andregistration unit 9 (playing cards are drawn from the card shoe 6 facedown), and it's second input is connected with the output of the playingcards value imprint recognition and registration unit 15, the said cardscome to each area 5 designated for placement face up, and the output isconnected with the computer 20. The input of the game run monitoringsystem 14 operation unit 18 is connected with the computer 20, the firstoutput of the game run monitoring system 14 operation unit 18 isconnected with the input of the playing cards value imprint recognitionand registration unit 15 (the said cards come to each area 5 designatedfor placement face up), and the second output is connected with theinput of the dealer's bank recognition and registration unit 17 and withthe input of the players' bets recognition and registration unit 16.Outputs of the dealer's bank recognition and registration unit 17 andplayers' bets recognition and registration unit 16 are connected withthe computer 20. The gaming equipment contains two or more game runmonitoring systems 14 arranged over the gaming table 1 at a distancebetween each other and having different inclination angles to thehorizontal surface of the gaming table 1, the said monitoring systemsare connected with the computer 20 through an additional synchronizationunit 24. On the output from the card shoe 6 above the playing cardsrecognition and registration unit 9 of the playing cards drawn from thecard shoe 6 face down a mechanical limiter 25 of the possibledisplacement of the playing card may be arranged, which provides thenecessary position for reading the playing card face down during theperiod of playing card withdrawal and reading the information about itsvalue imprint. The mechanical limiter 25 of possible movements justallows the playing card to extend over the playing cards recognition andregistration unit 9 (playing cards are drawn from the card shoe 6 facedown), and does not allow it to turn over until the information aboutthe playing card value imprint is read.

THE BEST VARIANT OF INVENTION IMPLEMENTATION

Gaming equipment for table games in which playing cards and gaming chipsare used, in particular for the game of “Black Jack” operates in thefollowing way: Before the beginning of the game the dealer carefullyshuffles the playing cards, it is advisable to use a device for thispurpose, then he places them face down in the card shoe 6 in thedirection of the distributing slot 7 in it. Each player at the gamingtable 1 makes his bet by placing chips in the betting boxes 3 for betsmarked on the cloth 2, arranged opposite his gaming place. If the betconsists of a few chips, they are placed in a column. The dealer's bankis located on the gaming table 1 in the special opened boxes arrangednear his gaming place on the area 4, in which the chips are placed onribs. The players' bets recognition and registration unit 16 anddealer's bank recognition and registration unit 17 of the game runmonitoring system 14, arranged over the gaming table 1, transmitinformation about the size of the bets made in each gaming area, andabout the dealer's bank size to the computer 20, from which theinformation comes to the electronic data processing system 21. Then thedealer distributes the playing cards from right to left to all players,one card per player and takes one for himself. At the same time as aplaying card edge crosses the border of the operation zone of theoptical electronic detector 8 of the playing cards movement the saiddetector switches on the playing cards value imprint recognition andregistration unit 9 (playing cards are drawn from the card shoe 6 facedown), created in the form of an optical electronic device 10. Theobject-glass 11 of the optical electronic device 10 during playing cardmovement through the mechanical limiter 25 of possible displacementconstantly provides information to the CCD image converters 12 abouteach part passing and then about the whole playing card, from the saidconverter the said information comes for further processing to theprocessor 13, where the processing of images of each part of the playingcard passing before the object-glass takes place, and the said imagescomparison with the whole playing card image before it's withdrawal fromthe distributing slot 7 of the card shoe 6. If the images are identical,then the unit 9 transmits the information to the playing card valueimprint comparison unit 19. If the images are different, then the unit19 gives a signal about gaming rules violation. The playing cards valueimprint recognition and registration unit 15 (the said cards come toeach area designated for placement face up) transmits the informationabout the image of the playing card which came to the area 5 of thegaming table 1 designated for placement of the playing card face up (thesaid card is assigned to a particular player) to the playing card valueimprint comparison unit 19. After comparison of images, which came fromunits 9 and 15, playing card value imprint comparison unit 19 transmitsthe information about their identity or difference to the computer 20,from which it comes to the system of electronic data processing 21,which processes this information in accordance with the gaming rules andthen transmits it to the visualization device 23 of data processed incomputer 20. If the gaming rules are kept, the playing cardsdistribution is fulfilled in the same way in turn to each player anddealer. Next, the second playing cards are distributed, starting fromthe first player from the right, moreover the dealer's second playingcard is placed face down. Having received the second playing cards, eachplayer may double the bet, take the additional playing cards or in caseof receiving of two e.g. tens divide the deck into two decks, havingmade the same bet to the second deck, and also may double the first bet.Each player is able to make an insurance bet placing it at the area 4 ofthe gaming table 1. The insurance bet equals the half of the initial betand the player makes it in order to insure his initial bet against thedealer's win if the dealer has received the first card with a highervalue, e.g. ten. In case of dealer's win that is if he has “BlackJack”—21 exactly, the player wins the doubled insurance bet. If thedealer does not receive 21 exactly, the player loses the insurance betbut plays the usual game on his initial bet. Two players may play at onegaming place; one player or two of them may carry out at once all thesaid actions with the playing cards and bets. The dealer plays with eachplayer by turn, at the same time the game with the next player may becarried out only after the fact when the dealer has taken the bet afterthe game with the previous player and has filled the bank in case of theplayer's loss or has paid the win from his bank in case of dealer'sloss.

In the process of playing cards distribution unit 9 carries out theconstant recognition and registration of the playing cards valueimprints (playing cards are drawn from the cards shoe 6 face down), andunit 15 carries out recognition and registration of the playing cardscoming to each area 5 designated for placing the said cards face up. Theinformation from units 9 and 15 comes to the playing cards value imprintcomparison unit 19, from which the information about the results ofcomparison comes to the computer 20. The system of the electronic dataprocessing 21 evaluates the signals received by the computer 20 andrepresents the results of processing on the visualization device 23.When information about rules violation during the playing cardsdistribution appears on the visualization devise 23, the inspectorialstaff is informed immediately, and the said stuff takes a decisionregarding the continuation or stop of the game. Players' betsrecognition and registration unit 16 and dealer's bank recognition andregistration unit 17 together with units 9, 15 and 19 collect andtransmit the information about the situation on the gaming table to thecomputer 20. Data about any changes in players' bets or in dealer's banktaking place within the playing cards distribution come to the system ofelectronic data processing 21 and are evaluated by it with relation tokeeping the gaming rules. In case of any violation information aboutthis fact appears on the visualization device 23 and the inspectorialstaff is informed. After the end of playing cards distribution theoperation unit 18 of the monitoring system 14 of the game rundisconnects the unit 15 and finishes in operation only units 16 and 17,recognize and register the information about changes in the players'bets and in the dealer's bank during mutual calculations after the endof the game with each player. This information comes to the system ofelectronic data processing 21 of the computer 20, which processes ittaking into account the information received earlier about the playingcards value imprint of the dealer and of each player and evaluateswhether the mutual calculations correspond to the gaming rules. The datareceived as the result of processing are displayed on the visualizationdevice 23, and in case information about a gaming rules violation comes,the inspectorial staff is informed for taking measures of solving thecurrent situation. The system 14 continues to monitor the game run untilthe end of mutual calculations between the dealer and the last player.All the information received by the system of electronic data processing21 from the players' bet recognition and registration unit 16 anddealer's bank recognition and registration unit 17 included inmonitoring system of the game run as well as from the players' cardsvalue imprint comparison unit 19, comes to the information storagesystem 22. Also data from the system 21 is transmitted here after theelectronic processing. If necessary it is possible to get all data abouteach phase of the game or about the whole game from the informationstorage system 22.

The gaming equipment being claimed may contain two or more game runmonitoring systems 14, arranged at a distance between each other andhaving different inclination angles to the horizontal surface of thegaming table 1, and connected with the computer 20 through theadditional synchronization unit 24. Players' hands may be a hindrancefor the constant control over the game run with the help of one system14 during division of deck by the player, when players make insurancebets, double the initial bets, as well as make the bet to the seconddeck during the deck division. By using several monitoring systems 14 ofthe game run the synchronization unit 24 chooses which monitoring systemor systems of the game run provide the constant monitoring of thecurrent situation at the gaming table 1.

As is evident from the above, the gaming equipment claimed providesautomatic control over keeping the gaming rules in real time on eachphase of it and over the accuracy of dealer's payment of wins toplayers. Such monitoring of the whole game run with the use of highspeed data processing of the game run allows to receive the informationabout the dealer's work quality, about methods of the gaming run by eachplayer. Due to this a high level of technical control is provided, rulesviolation is prevented and the casino safety is increased.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION

In the gaming equipment being claimed for table games in which playingcards and gaming chips are used, in particular for the game of “BlackJack”, gaming table 1 with cloth 2 provided with betting boxes 3 andother areas 4 designated for placement of said gaming chips, as well asareas 5 designated for placement of said playing cards face up, and thecard shoe 6 with the distributing slot 7 and optical electronic sensor 8of playing cards movement are created in the same way as in the gamingequipment known from the prototype or with the use of any other standardgaming tables and card shoes known in this technical field. An opticalelectronic device 10, containing object-glass 11, CCD-image converters12 and processor 13, and the game run monitoring system 14, may berepresented by optical electronic devices formed e.g. on the basis ofintelligent video camera IVC-1, containing the optical device, videosensor, processor of digital processing of images, operative storagecell, reprogrammed storage cell for programs and setting parametersstorage in case of power cut, digital inputs/outputs for connection withthe ancillary apparatus, transmitter-receiver for connecting thestandard channel RS-232 (see V. Bojun, Y. Sabelnikov. Intelligent videocamera. Scientific and technical magazine “Electronic components andsystems” Kiev, SPF VD MAIS, No. 2, 2002, p. 33-35). The intelligentvideo camera video sensor HDCS-2020 produced by the firm AgilentTechnologies is used, which provides the possibility of recognitionparameters changing, also the processor for digital processing ofsignals ADSP-2183 manufactured by the firm Analog Devices is used. Theintelligent video camera ensures video images processing in real timeand allows to realize the recognition of the whole review sector as wellas of the separate areas with fixed and automatic exposure and videosignal intensification coefficient setting. It is used as independentobjects' identifier, dynamic objects registrar, high speed detector ofmovement, the system of panning, and video sequence montage. ProcessorADSP-2183, being the central controlling and processing device, has ahigh speed of operation and a large volume of “prompt” internal memoryof programs and data for solving the task of control over the game runprovision in real time.

Optical electronic device 10 and monitoring system 14 of the game runmay be created also on the base of intelligent video camera VS 710 (seeIntelligent video camera VS 710. Scientific and technical magazine“Electronic components and systems” Kiev, SPF VD MAIS, No. 1, 2001, p.46), containing optical sensor, processor, computing device, peripherydevices and power unit. As the sensing element CCD—sensor with ahigh-resolution ratio is used in the intelligent video camera VS 710.The period of shot change may be set from 1/50 up to 1/10000 of second.The operation in the mode of half picture or full picture with theprogrammable image ratio is possible. Intelligent video camera VS 710allows obtaining of undistorted images even of fast moving objects.

On realization of the monitoring system 14 of the game run on the basisof intelligent video cameras IVC-1 or VS 710, high reliability andoperation speed of playing cards value imprint recognition andregistration unit 15 (playing cards come to each designated area forplacement face up), of players' bets recognition and registration unit16, of dealer's bank recognition and registration unit 17 are provided.Operation unit 18 of the monitoring system 14 of the game run may becreated on the basis of standard monoboard computers, e.g. SBC BL 2000containing up to 28 inputs/outputs.

The computer 20 providing cooperation of all functional units may becreated in the form of monoboard computer ROBO-603 having two USB-ports.One of the USB ports is used for units connections, which providecontrol over the game run, and the second USB-port provides connectionto the system 21 of electronic data processing. By this port thechanging of the software determining the gaming rules is carried out.Data about the computer is provided in the scientific and technicalmagazine “Electronic components and systems”, Kiev, SPF VD MAIS, No. 9,2002, p. 26.

The system of electronic data processing 21, to which the informationabout the game run received to computer 20 is transmitted, may becreated on the base of monoboard computer NC-6060 (see monoboardcomputer NC-6060 of the company Portwell. The scientific and technicalmagazine “Electronic components and systems”, Kiev, SPF VD MAIS, No. 9,2002, p. 36), having extensive functional abilities.

The information storage system 22 and visualization devise 23 of dataprocessed in computer may be created in the same way as in gamingequipment known from the Nature of the invention: gaming equipment fortable games in which playing cards and gaming chips are used, inparticular for the game of “Black Jack”, including gaming table withcloth provided with betting boxes and other areas designated forplacement of said gaming chips, as well as areas designated forplacement of said playing cards the face up, card shoe for storage anddistribution of playing cards drawn from it face down, equipped with theoptical electronic detector of playing cards movement and with theplaying cards value imprint recognition and registration unit (the saidplaying cards are drawn from the cards shoe), monitoring system of thegame run, computer, connected with the separate functional units byelements of wire or wireless communications, supplied with system of theelectronic data processing programmed in accordance with the gamingrules, which allows to evaluate signals coming from the playing cardvalue imprint recognition and registration unit (the said playing cardsare drawn from the card shoe face down), and from the monitoring systemof the game run connected with the information storage system, as wellas with the visualization device of data processed in computer,characterizing the game run.

The innovation is represented in the fact that monitoring system of thegame run is created in the form of optical electronic devise for theplaying table objects images processing, which contains playing cardvalue imprint recognition and registration unit (the said playing cardscoming to each area designated for placement of said playing cards faceup), players' bets recognition and registration unit, dealer's bankrecognition and registration unit and the game run monitoring systemoperation unit, as well as the gaming equipment is additionally providedwith playing cards value imprint comparison unit, the first input ofwhich is connected with output of the playing cards value imprintrecognition and registration unit (the said playing cards are drawn fromthe card shoe face down), it's second input is connected with output ofthe playing cards value imprint recognition and registration unit (thesaid cards come to each area designated for placement the said playingcards face up), and the output is connected with computer; the input ofthe game run monitoring system operation unit is connected withcomputer, the first output of the game run monitoring system operationunit is connected with the input of the playing cards value imprintrecognition and registration unit (the said cards come to each areadesignated for placement the playing cards face up), and the secondoutput is connected with the input of the dealer's bank recognition andregistration unit and with the input of the players' bets recognitionand registration unit; outputs of the dealer's bank recognition andregistration unit and players' bets recognition and registration unitare connected with computer; at the same time the optical electronicdevise of gaming table objects images processing is arranged over thegaming table. The Innovation is represented with the fact playing cardsvalue imprint recognition and registration unit (the said cards aredrawn from the card shoe face down) is created is the form of opticalelectronic device, containing object-glass, CCD-image converters andprocessor connected in sequence. The Innovation is also represented withthe fact that gaming equipment has two or more game run monitoringsystems arranged over the gaming table at the distance between eachother and having different inclination angle to the horizontal surfaceof the gaming table, the said monitoring systems are connected withcomputer through the additional synchronization unit. Technical result:provision of the possibility of the automatic control exercise in realtime over keeping the gaming rules at all phases of the game and overthe accuracy of dealer's payment of wins to players. prototype:

1. Gaming equipment for table games in which playing cards-and gamingchips are used, in particular for the game of “Black Jack”, including:gaming table with cloth provided with betting boxes and other areasdesignated for placement of said gaming chips, as well as areasdesignated for placement of said playing cards face up; card shoe forstorage and distribution of playing cards drawn from the said card shoeface down, the said card shoe equipped with an optical electronicdetector of playing cards' movement and with the playing cards (facedown) value imprint recognition and registration unit; monitoring systemof the game run; computer, connected with the separate functional unitsvia wire or wireless communications, the said computer provided with anelectronic data processing system, the said system programmed inaccordance with the gaming rules which allows evaluation of signalscoming from the said playing card (face down) value imprint recognitionand registration unit, and from the monitoring system of the game run;an information storage system; a visualization device of the dataprocessed in the said computer, the said visualization device showingthe game run; wherein said monitoring system of the game run is createdin the form of an optical electronic device for processing the images ofobjects on the gaming table, said optical electronic device contains:playing cards face up value imprint recognition and registration unit;players' bets recognition and registration unit; dealer's bankrecognition and registration unit; operation unit of the monitoringsystem of the game run comprising the playing cards face down and faceup value imprint comparison unit, the first input of which is connectedwith the output of the playing cards face down value imprint recognitionand registration unit (the said playing cards are drawn from the cardshoe face down), it's second input is connected with the output of theplaying cards face up value imprint recognition and registration unit(the said cards come to each area designated for placement of theplaying cards face up), and the output is connected with the computer;the input of the game run monitoring system operation unit is connectedwith the computer, the first output of the game run monitoring systemoperation unit is connected with the input of the playing cards valueimprint recognition and registration unit (the said cards come to eacharea designated for placement of the playing cards face up), and thesecond output is connected with the input of the dealer's bankrecognition and registration unit and with the input of the players'bets recognition and registration unit; outputs of the dealer's bankrecognition and registration unit and players' bets recognition andregistration unit are connected with the computer, at the same time theoptical electronic device of gaming table objects images processing isarranged over the gaming table.
 2. Gaming equipment under the item 1which differs with the fact that the playing cards face down valueimprint recognition and registration unit (the said cards are drawn fromthe card shoe face down) is created in the form of an optical electronicdevice containing CCD image converters equipped with a object glass andprocessor, the said converters and processor being connected insequence.
 3. Gaming equipment under the item 1 which differs with thefact that it contains two or more monitoring systems of the game run,spaced over the gaming table and each having different inclinationangles to the horizontal surface of the gaming table, the saidmonitoring systems connected with the computer through the additionalsynchronization unit.